1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to apparatus and methods used to intercept waves and disperse the energy therein to thereby dissipate, if not eliminate, the wave action.
2. Description of the Related Art
Structures are known to be positioned in marine environments to function as breakwaters to reduce the effects of wave action from the shore. Such devices are disclosed in the patents discussed below.
The construction and arrangement of breakwaters to reduce erosion of shorelines has changed to include other than just concrete fixtures. For example, such devices and systems are disclosed in:
Inventor(s)U.S. Pat. No.  527,513See et al.1,593,863Brasher3,373,821Sare3,842,606Stiles3,846,990Bowley3,894,397Fair3,938,338Cullen4,118,937Mansen4,178,517Salomon et al.4,264,233McCambridge4,341,489Karnas4,407,607McCambridge4,431,337Iwasa4,669,913Temple4,691,661Deiana4,729,691Sample4,729,692Techer4,748,338Boyce4,776,724Iswald4,776,725Brode4,844,654Widerman4,856,933Tubbs, Jr.4,856,934Nelson4,856,935Haras4,900,188Haselton et al.5,104,258Ianell5,122,015Shen5,238,325Krenzler5,238,326Creter5,246,307Rauch5,250,696Beardsley5,556,229Bishop et al.5,564,369Barber et al.Foreign Patent805,789 (British)Laurei
British Patent No. 805,789 also discloses a breakwater device which employs gas bubbles in the path of the wave motion to reduce sea waves and swell.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,879,105 to Bishop et al discloses a wave energy dispersion model with smooth flat faceted surface to dissipate wave energy and is incorporated herein by reference. The present invention represents an improvement over this prior device.
Traditional breakwaters, sea walls and jetties have failed to substantially curtail the destructive force of moving water primarily because of their construction, and tendencies to reflect or direct wave energy in destructive ways or concentrate the energy in local hot spots. Erosion and the scouring effects of the misdirected energy lead to the loss of the beach and undermining of the structures which were meant to protect the shoreline.
In addition, other fixed structures such as groins lead to the loss of natural flows and downdrift beaches by interrupting the littoral flows and generally create a surplus condition on the updraft side and a starvation condition on the downdraft beaches.
Other erosion control systems which are positioned offshore do not provide the arrangement of surfaces which deflect and redirect breaking waves so that eddies and vortexes produced interfere with and cancel each other, as well as the oncoming portions of the next successive wave.
Many of these known devices and systems are rigidly mounted to the shore or shelf portion underneath the surf in a manner which severely restricts, if not eliminates, removal of the system to another location where the barriers are needed more urgently. These same systems also usually require an extensive and expensive environmental impact study to justify use of the systems in marine environments which are essentially classified as “sensitive”.